Flow-measuring system

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION WITH AN UPWARDLY ORIENTED CONDUIT ADAPTED TO HAVE A PARTICULATE MATERIAL FLOWING DOWNWARDLY THERETHROUGH, A SYSTEM FOR MEASURING THE WEIGHT RATE OF DOWNWARD FLOW OF SUCH MATERIAL WITHIN SAID CONDUIT AND FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING THE WEIGHT RATE OF FLOW OF THE MATERIAL THERETHROUGH IN RESPONSE TO SUCH MEASUREMENTS TO EFFECT A PREDETERMINED FLOW RATE, SAID SYSTEM INCLUDING A SENSING ELEMENT INTERPOSED IN SAID CONDUIT SO AS TO BE IMPACT-ENGAGED BY SUCH MATERIAL FLOWING DOWNWARDLY THERETHROUGH AND BEING RESPONSIVE TO THE VALUE OF THE IMPACT FORCE THEREOF AS A REFLECTION OF THE FLOW RATE, MOUNTING STRUCTURE SUPPORTING SAID SENSING ELEMENT WITHIN SAID CONDUIT SO AS TO PERMIT AT LEAST LIMITED VERTICAL DISPLACEMENTS OF THE SENSING ELEMENT WHILE CONSTRAINING THE SAME AGAINST LATERAL DISPLACEMENTS SO THAT ONLY THE VERTICALLY ORIENTED COMPONENTS OF SUCH IMPACT FORCE ARE RESPONSIBLY DETECTED BY SAID SENSING ELEMENT, MEANS COMPRISING A FLOW INTERRUPTER DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CONDUIT UPSTREAM OF SAID SENSING ELEMENT FOR DISTURBING THE DOWNWARD FLOW OF MATERIAL FOR ESTABLISHING THE VELOCITY THEREOF AT A KNOWN VALUE AT THE MOMENT OF IMPACT THEREOF WITH SAID SENSING ELEMENT, VALVE STRUCTURE LOCATED ALONG SAID CONDUIT UPSTREAM OF SAID SENSING ELEMENT THEREIN FOR DETERMINING THE WEIGHT RATE OF FLOW OF MATERIAL THERETOWARD, AND FEEDBACK CONTROL MEANS RESPONSIVE TO ANY CONTEMPORARY VALUE OF THE IMPACT FORCE IMPARTED TO SAID SENSING ELEMENT BY THE MATERIAL IMPACTING THEREAGAINST FOR REGULATIVELY ADJUSTING SAID VALVE STRUCTURE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SELECTIVE REQUIREMENT FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF OR A CHANGE IN THE WEIGHT RATE OF FLOW OF MATERIAL THROUGH SAID CONDUIT TO PROVIDE THE AFOREMENTIONED PREDETERMINED FLOW RATE.